no-bake chocolate sunflower seed butter granola bars

Soft, chewy, and allergy-friendly, these delicious no-bake chocolate sunflower seed butter granola bars are free of all the common food allergens so that EVERYONE can enjoy them!

That title, though — what a mouthful. I tried to shorten it, but believe it or not, that was the best I could do without leaving out any important information

I couldn’t get rid of the “no-bake” because it shows that these bars are quick and easy to make. I couldn’t get rid of the “chocolate” because it means that these bars are delicious (obviously). I couldn’t get rid of the “granola bars” because… well… that’s kind of what these are. And while I briefly considered removing the “sunflower seed butter,” I couldn’t do that either because it’s the most important point of all — it shows that these bars are allergy friendly.

Food allergies have become a hot topic over the past couple of years. Back in my day, gluten-intolerance wasn’t even a thing, and I’m pretty sure that I was the only one I knew of throughout all of my grade school years that had some kind of serious food allergy (damn you, pesky peanuts!!!).

Now, though? Even people who don’t need to avoid gluten are avoiding gluten (don’t even get me started on that one), and while nowhere near as mainstream, more and more consideration is being shown to those of us with nut allergies as well… which is a fact that I’m extremely happy about because back in my day (here I go again), I distinctly remember going to school and sitting next to kids who were chowing down on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich — something which very well could have killed me had I taken an innocent, curious bite.

I occasionally hear people complain about the fact that more and more public places are becoming nut-free zones, and it takes all of my willpower to keep myself from shooting them with a serious stank eye and a rude retort. Like… I’m sorry you are mildly inconvenienced by something that could be potentially fatal to me. How inconsiderate of me to be born with a severe food allergy.

I kid, I kid. I don’t get that worked up about it, but I’ll admit that seeing nut-free labels on things/places does make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside… unlike the days where I had to pass on birthday cake at parties because I didn’t know what was in it, or when my favourite candy bars suddenly started coming with a “may contain traces of peanuts” label, instantly making them off-limits (I’m looking at you, Twix!!!). It’s a step in the right direction in a world where food allergies are becoming more and more prevalent.

But that in itself is a whole other topic for a whole other day. I’m not going to get in to the fact that what we’re doing to our food supply is sick and going to catch up with us down the road. Instead, I’m going to share the recipe for these chocolate sunflower seed butter granola bars which, despite being a mouthful, are: nut-free, egg-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, corn-free, and soy-free, meaning that everyone can enjoy.

Line an 8x8 (20x20cm) baking pan with a sheet of aluminum foil, leaving a few inches of overhang on the sides to allow for easy removal. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the sunflower seed butter and brown rice syrup, stirring until the sunflower seed butter is melted and fully combined with the syrup. Add the cocoa powder and salt, and stir until smooth.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the oats. When the oats are well incorporated, add the cereal, stirring gently to avoid crushing it.

Transfer the mixture into your prepared baking pan, using your fingers or a spatula to ensure that it is pressed down firmly and evenly. Cover the pan with a sheet of foil and place into the fridge to set, at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.

When the bars have set, remove them from the pan using the foil overhang, and use a sharp knife to cut them into individual bars.

Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave them on high in intervals of 20 seconds, stirring regularly to ensure they don't burn. Once fully melted, use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate over the bars and transfer them to the fridge for ~15 minutes to allow the chocolate to set.

Notes

* You can also use almond or peanut butter if you're not concerned about allergies.** You can also use honey if you don't need these to be strictly vegan.*** This recipe requires the use of quick oats or the bars may not stick together properly. Also, make sure you use certified gluten-free oats if you need these to be gluten-free.

Back in my day… People didn’t even know what gluten was! Or I didn’t at least. The avoidance of gluten by everyone is so irritating! Why make life more difficult for yourself by avoiding something you don’t even need to? Geez!

People who stay away from gluten but have no idea what it is = one of my biggest pet peeves. Oh, and I’m allergic to bees so until they stop congregating in forests and parks I can’t hike or go on picnics. They’re inconsiderate, eh?

Love the combination of chocolate and sunflower seed butter! And screw the idiots who are selfish and complain about nut-free facilities. Don’t give them any of these delicious bars if you run into the haters 😉

Yeah, I get irriated by people who do that, just the same as people who go on these juicing diets, or eat 500 calories a day….but then gain the weight back again…..just not doing your research! Oh well, their loss! These bars look wonderful, and crunchy too? You have me sold!

Oh dear – these bars – the long name is synonymous with the long chain of drool forming!
These look insanely delish! And no bake??? WOA!!!!
I am lucky not to have any food allergies – I have had to break up with lactose – but that’s more because it causes me all kinds of gut wrenching heart break (that can be downright embarrassing at times) – but it’s no where as scary as an allergy is!

If you are ever inclined, I would be interested in your allergy story. (How you first realized you were allergic to peanuts, what it was like growing up in a world ignorant to common allergens, id you ever try peanuts, etc.) I have no known food allergies so I cannot relate but I would like to understand.
Sunflower seed butter is yummy. Almost as good as almond butter.
Back in the day we never wore seat belts. In fact, I remember doing somersaults over the back seat of our glorious Spitfire Orange station wagon whilst my mom was driving. (Incidentally, that station wagon was the ugliest beast on wheels anyone has ever seen. Thankfully, it met its demise before I became a teenager.)

This is SO weird. While reading your post, I play MC Solaar at work and he sings Les tempes changent ‘Back in the day when I was a teenage’……scary?
Anyway, I am lucky enough to not have food allergies. I guess too much gluten isn’t best for me, but apart from a little reflux or bloating I survive-
Can I just have the chocolate topping? It looks absolutely heavenly.

And I’m glad there’s no almonds involved lol. Although I do wonder if I could handle almond meal. Who knows. My almond allergy is odd and weird and thankfully not severe like your peanut allergies but it’s annoying enough where I just attempt to not eat almonds at so long as I can help it.

This is really fabulous especially because as parents now you have to be so careful about allergies! My kid’s schools are nut conscious and if you bring in a snack of course it has to be nut free. Each year my kids have been in school they’ve had classmates with allergies to nuts so it’s a huge thing now.
As far as the gluten thing, I’ve never been diagnosed as celiac but I avoid gluten along with other things because it seems to significantly contribute to major digestive problems. While I can’t speak for everyone, I don’t think you NEED to have a documented intolerance or allergy to know that you feel better without something. It’s a really personal thing.

Oh I definitely agree! It’s easy to see when you feel better without eating something, but what bothers me is when people do it just because it seems to be the trendy thing to do… Like when they avoid gluten because everyone else is doing it or because they think it will make them lose weight.

I know exactly what you mean! My friends and I were out to dinner and when 2 of us asked about gluten free options she replied that she should probably be eating gluten free too referring to her weight) Definitely misconceptions about it!

Girl, you know the way to my heart! I have SERIOUSLY missed delicious baked goods while at college – the Starbucks muffins the size of my head full of who-knows-what aren’t exactly appealing, y’know? 😉 Even better, I actually HAVE all these ingredients in my trusty food drawer! Now to take a midterm study break.

I don’t even understand how you can make those granola bar swirl things so perfect. It’s like the chocolate came right out of the box. Whenever I try and add a glaze, it looks like I dropped it a few times LOL.

I love love loveee Enjoy Life Foods, but their products are way too pricey, and homemade is always better. WITH THAT said these bars give theirs a complete run for their money! I’d still of course purchase their chocolate chips though. These look insanely delicious.

I had never given thought to the seriousness of an allergic reaction to a food as universal as peanuts…until I “met” you of course. Then suddenly all those “made in a factory which uses peanuts” held a meaning and no longer seemed unnecessary word-space.
Ooooh I need to make this…*whispers* with peanut butter.

That phrase is seriously the bane of my existence. I can’t even tell you how many things I’ve picked up that I would have loved to try, only to see that on there and have my poor little heart crushed 😥

Had to laugh at the ‘back in my day’ line – I find myself saying that all the time now! And I swore when I was younger I never would :-S I guess it’s something we all do when we are hitting the big 3-0! Haha!

Back in my day, when I walked around a neighborhood at night there were kids playing ManHunt, tag, and capture the flag. When I walked Elmo around a neighborhood the other night (on a Saturday, mind you), there were NO kids to be seen, found, or heard. I love me some video games but it makes me sad to see the lack of kids outside playing these days.

And I am REALLY surprised Hershey doesn’t have two facilities for peanut and peanut-free goods considering, well, they obviously have the money for such a thing. Lol

I really adore the no-bake almond butter protein bars you posted a year or so ago, so I will definitely be trying this recipe. I actually love bars like these for breakfast because I get excited when I wake up to something new Have a great day!

They -probably- won’t stick together as well. Quick oats are finer and act more like a flour than regular oats. What you can do is pulse regular oats in a blender or food processor for a few seconds to break them down, and that should help

Just sent this to my SIL! My niece has an egg and nut allergy, so she’s always on the lookout for tasty stuff that she can actually eat! I am allergic to several kinds of nuts, but can have peanuts and almonds. It’s no fun having to look at the ingredients on EVERYTHING and just not have something if you’re not sure because it was brought by someone else. I feel your pain! (And I also agree with you…why avoid gluten if you arent allergic or sensitive to it? Most people don’t even know it it is, just that its “bad” for them) #fail

I am lucky to not have any food allergies, just skin allergies. Most laundry detergents, lotions, soaps, deodorant etc. Not life threatening, just makes me develop terrible rashes. These days though, it’s nice that so many more places carry natural products. I am terribly allergic to conventional deo. and grew up in a small town so I always had to order mine online. Now, they carry it pretty much everywhere… Would be super scary for it to be life threatening though :/

Haha I actually don’t have any food allergies but I can imagine it being pretty tough back in the day. Back in the day…. I used to eat peanut butter straight from the jar in front of my roommate who was allergic to peanuts… I know, I’m horrible, but I would honestly just forget! Until she would kindly say… I SMELL PEANUTS.

You’re seriously the cutest. I can’t with your post today. I was cracking up reading the whole time… even though I have different thoughts on nut free zones since I don’t have an allergy, I would appreciate shrimp free zones because they are delicious and I miss them. So funny – before I even read your post today I was putting sunbutter on my oatmeal thinking “hmmm I should make sunbutter bites”. #GREATMINDS.

I am SO lucky not to have any severe food allergies, though I recently discovered I never fell very well after eating hazelnuts, so I’ve been casually avoiding them (not too worried about it). I have a cousin who goes into anaphylactic shock if he eats dairy, eggs, any nuts, or sesame (sesame is his most severe allergy). It’s so, so scary how many times his life has been in danger and he’s not even 13 years old yet. Yikes!
Back in my day… I miss tamagatchis (I am 100% sure I misspelled that)! I’m not quite 16… there’s not a ton to be missed yet. Ha!
These bars look deeeeeeelish. I might send some to my cousin! Thanks for sharing http://www.youtube.com/sparklesandsuch26

I had one of those growing up as well! I actually booted it up and played with it a little while back, but it wasn’t as fun as I remembered it to be, and I kind of forgot about him so he ended up dying 😕

I could SO relate to this post!!! I have a tree nut and peanut allergy (womp womp) and now it’s all over the place when I passed on so many pieces of cake and M&Ms I’m definitely going to make these! Thanks

Well since the babies aren’t fond of sunbutter (oh, the horror!), I’ll have to switch it use nut butter. Oh & btw, can I just tell you that you make such delicious looking & sounding no bake recipes. I wish I could just reach out & grab everything you prepare. Woudln’t that be the life!

Girrrl how do always get everything looking so professional? These sound and look so fancy, i’m already obsessed I actually didnt even know sunflower seed butter was a thing (and i call myself a healthy living blogger?!) but yes, im really happy that more attention is being given to allergies on a large scale. And now im hungry, so i have to go eat something that undoubtedly won’t be as good as these

I think it’s time we set the record straight and officially crown you Queen of Bars 😉 . All the ones you make just look so freakini’ delicious and I’m consistently amazed with your creativity! Even though I don’t have any food allergies, I would like a big batch of these delivered asap. Please and thank you 😉

Wowzas. These almost look too good to eat. Almost… 😉
I saw sunflower seed butter the other day but walked away. I will get it next time I do groceries though. I ned to know what the hype is all about!! Everyone says it’s sooooo delicious and if you give it the stamp of approval, then it must be!

I have a secret love for sunflower butter. I originally bought it so that I could help my peanut butter situation…BUT turned out it was just as addicting! These look relish but I have a feeling I’d eat all the bars!!

I’m lucky to not have any food allergies or intolerances, but my aunt and cousin are both severely anaphylactic to peanuts, so I’ve always been super allergy aware. A lot of people don’t realize how severe they can be – my aunt had a reaction one time after my husband ate peanut butter at lunch at work and came home and gave her a kiss hours later. So it’s good that allergy labelling and peanut free zones and all of that is becoming more prevalent! And yeah, don’t even get me started on the gluten thing! Anyhoo, these bars look fab and I’ve pinned the recipe to make them soon. I love anything chocolate and no bake is so easy and convenient! I’ll have to seek out some sunflower seed butter (or make some) and get down to business!

I am definitely trying these! We don’t have any serious allergies here, thank goodness. But I do not understand people that feel that they are inconvenienced by those that do. A lot of those allergies are very serious…they’re not just some little thing to view lightly. We do eat some gluten free foods, mainly because my youngest son was very allergic to wheat when he was little (to the point where he would stop breathing and have something that resembled a seizure…it was an awful while we were figuring out what the issue was) and we had to eat gluten free for a couple years because of it. They didn’t know if he had celiac and we just decided it best to go completely gluten free and not take a chance. We found some products and a lot of recipes that we liked, that we still use to this day. And I just made some delicious brownies not too long ago with sunflower nut butter. Thanks for linking this up with us at Foodie Fridays. I feel like I just wrote you a book!

These look like the best no-bake chocolate granola bar ever!! And I love that the ingredient list isn’t a mile long – in fact I have everything but the sunflower seed butter. Which I’ve been dying to try anyways! And what a gorgeous chocolate drizzle! I love these Amanda

Those look really good! I also have a severe peanut allergy– I know the feeling of being frustrated by peanuts suddenly being an ingredient in foods I used to enjoy! Nature Valley Granola bars started adding peanut flour sometime around the time I was in MS- I was heart broken! And it seems like after that, pretty much all granola bars, and so many candy bars became off limits. I love that I’ve learned to make my own in place of those though. I love sunbutter! Will try these.

Hey Amanda!!! I made these today after gawking over them ever since you first posted the recipe. UM WOW! They are amazing and will definitely be made again. I love how easy they are to whip together too. I think they will be my new preworkout snack of choice!!! Thanks love!

I know you said the importance of oats in this recipe, but I’m trying to make these for a family friend’s 5 year old who suffers from many allergies (gluten, fructose, particular vegetables, eggs, oats, peanuts, and a few more), and clinically diagnosed digestive problems, I liked this specific recipe because you used brown rice syrup which is the one of the few specific sweetener he can have – but he’s allergic to oats! So, I substituted quinoa flakes instead, and it totally worked out. They held together perfectly. The texture may be a bit off, but not enough for him to notice. Thanks for the recipe, definitely a keeper.